LECTURES AND ESSAYS EEAD AT INSTITUTES. 309 



■tion, and always getting lost, — not a bad sign, my friend ; in fact the best 

 kind of evidence that they are used and ought to used more. If they remained 

 always bright and never strayed from their places, it would be a bad sign, 

 indeed. The fact is tools are in demand on the farm if they are within reach. 

 Perhaps the boss will tell you, when he finds something missing, that he loses 

 more tools than the Avork amounts to. But put them within reach, and he 

 soon forgets about it. When his work is waiting for want of an augur, or a 

 chisel, he knows that it pays to use them, and he never hesitates to show it 

 by his actions. If he would keep a better stock and use them more, he would 

 ■learn to take proper care of them. 



The farmer's shop is of course made only for occasional use, and though 

 it be used much, it must be idle still more, and the interest on the investment 

 will be relatively great when compared with the earnings. It is impossible to 

 •make an accurate estimate upon such uncertain and varying foundations as 

 we have to reckon from in this case. But supposing the value of tools and 

 shops to be anywhere from one hundred to three hundred dollars, it is evident 

 that the cost of a few trips to town with a team, in a hurrying season, a few 

 half days wasted waiting for work to be done, a few dollars in mechanics' bills 

 saved, a few days of lost time (rainy days) turned to good account, and a few 

 dollars in loss, wear, and breakage, on various tools, lumber, and materials, 

 saved by means of proper storage, will easily drown the interest on the invest- 

 ment. 



A shop and tools is equivalent to an accident insurance. Peter the Great 

 once saved his life in a retreat by knowing how to shoe his horse. Not every 

 man can turn mechanical skill to such signal advantage, but if he only saves 

 a ten-dollar bill once in a while, in his retreat from poverty, it will be some 

 satisfaction; and any one can do that. Every bit of knowledge or experience 

 acquired, even not apparently in the line of one's business, is an advantage 

 gained, and may some day result in great benefit to its possessor. It is like 

 the apparently useless researches in science, which are often ridiculed by the 

 ignorant, as foolish and impertinent, but frequently resulting, as has been 

 strikingly illustrated within the last few years, in such triumphs as the tele- 

 phone, and the electric light. How much more certain must the farmer be to 

 receive benefit from any skill or knowledge gained in a line so closely con- 

 nected with his own. 



The farmer's business is exceedingly diversified. There is frequent chance 

 to apply the principles and processes of almost every trade, and mechanical 

 ^profession, and there is room for endless contrivance in saving time and labor. 

 If tools are at hand, they give a man scope in this direction. He may carry 

 out his ideas and make experiments in leisure hours, and thus gain material 

 advantage in his work, receive inspiration from success, learn wisdom from 

 failure, and at the same time have change of work, which amounts to recrea- 

 tion. Almost every tradesman has tools, and methods of work peculiar to 

 himself — inventions of his own, which suit his particular circumstances. 

 Farmers have, to some extent — they ought to have them by the score — and tho 

 shop is the natural stepping stone to such helps. 



If any one suggests that the shop work of the farmer will be of poor qual- 

 ity, I reply that there is plenty of work on the farm that can be done nearly 

 as well by a farm hand as by any one, especially if good judgment is used in 

 supervision, and selecting the right man for the job. For example, feeding 

 boxes, watering troughs, bee-hives, whiffletrees and eveners, ladders, gates, and 

 •hay-racks. The blacksmith shop is most valuable as an accessory to the wood 



